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We've officially found the world's best prawn

Feb 25, 2018

It's official: the Aussie prawn – ethical, sustainable and delicious – is the best in the world. Specifically, the Spencer Gulf King Prawn. Anthony Huckstep takes to the high seas with chef Neil Perry to seek them out.

Some swear it’s the mighty meat pie and sauce. Others point to the veritable Vegemite (or should it be avo?) on toast, but is there truly a more iconic, quintessentially Australian act than throwing a prawn on the barbie?

In the ’80s, though a comical cliché, Paul Hogan’s famous ‘throw a shrimp on the barbie’ advert captured our enduring crustacean crush, even though he messed up the naming (they’re prawns, mate). And according to one of Australia’s most influential chefs and owner of The Rockpool Group Neil Perry, Australian prawns, however you refer to them, are the best in the world.

Although we boast a smorgasbord of world-class crustaceans, Perry believes he’s found the very best of a very, very good bunch in South Australia.

“To source the finest produce is the cornerstone of good cooking, and in the Spencer Gulf we have one of the best prawns in the world,” says Perry.

Going a significant way to back up this claim, The Rockpool Group is the largest user of the Spencer Gulf King Prawn in the world, and to help celebrate the fishery’s 50th year, Perry joined fisherman Andrew Puglisi on the high seas for the first trawl of the season. And it was quite the adventure.

“To see what the guys go through – the rough seas, fishing all night long, focusing on sustainability and ensuring that consumers receive one of the world’s greatest prawns – is astounding,” says Perry. “The Gulf is an unbelievable stretch of water with a treasure trove of quality ingredients, and watching them come up in the nets live is such a blast.”

Battered by the weather, thrown about by the rough water, and experiencing a few bouts of dreaded sea sickness, Perry and the crew went through quite the experience to find the world’s greatest prawn.

“To eat them fresh out of the water is a privilege. I love simply splitting them in half, seasoning and cooking over charcoal – just extraordinary,” says Perry.

Fisherman Andrew Puglisi explains The Spencer Gulf Prawn fishery is a highly evolved operation that goes well beyond the catch, to ensure sustainability is always at the top of the food chain.

“My old man came here in 1967 and he recognised they needed to manage the fishery for longevity and not destroy it,” says Puglisi, who explains that all 39 fisherman in the fishery work in sync, only fishing 50 days a year – a short period that is split into two seasons. “We try to maximise our time for a good haul, but always ensure that there’s plenty left in the water for next time, too.”

The Spencer Gulf isn’t alone in ‘world’s best’ status when it comes to Aussie prawns, as by now most of us proud Australians well know. According to international seafood expert and co-author of the Australian Fish and Seafood Cookbook, John Susman: “Australian prawns are so unique because their quality stems from not just their centre-of-plate culinary performance, but the ethical and sustainable practises of our fishers.”

It’s true, Australia has the safest, most highly managed and environmentally astute fisheries in the world, as evidenced by the fact our two major prawn fisheries (Spencer Gulf King and Skull Island Tiger in the Northern Territory) are both MSC-certified sustainable. This, Susman says, reflects in the quality of the prawn we take home. “We have commercial fisheries operating in all five freshwater and marine zones, from tropic to arctic; and all depths from inter-tidal estuary to 2,500m sub-antarctic. The range of prawns in Australia is unmatched.”

The Spencer Gulf King Prawn is the southern-most temperate-water prawn in the world. The prawn is part of the same family that is usually found above the 30th parallel in far warmer water, but The Gulf itself is relatively shallow, with swells of cold, nutrient-rich water from the Southern Ocean. This king of kings feeds in a unique micro-climate of seagrass beds that deliver a rich sweetness in the meat. Perhaps this why Perry has picked it as his winner.

“It has a really rich, grassy, iodine characteristic that you don’t find in other wild prawns from Australia,” offers Susman.

From giant Skull Island tiger prawns in the Gulf of Carpentaria (certified sustainable and carbon neutral) and banana prawns from Northern Australia, Eastern king prawns caught from Cairns to Lakes Entrance, school prawns from Northern NSW and of course, Perry’s pick, the Spencer Gulf King Prawns from South Australia, Susman says “You’d be hard pressed to find better on the planet, and they’re all available at different times of year”.

Quality and ethical fishing come at a cost – especially when imported seafood is not held to such stringent regulations – but Susman says Australian prawns are worth the extra outlay.

“In less than half a generation, we’ve seen prawns go from special-occasion food to Tuesday night dinner. Look for Australian [rather than imported] prawns, and remember you don’t need many to make a great meal, but what a meal it will be!”

Everything you need to know about buying prawns, courtesy of the Australian Fish and Seafood Cookbook

What to look for when buying prawns

Fresh raw prawns: It’s often best to buy frozen as prawns are snap frozen on-board at the point of catch to capture their integrity. Look for vibrantly coloured tails and flesh glowing translucently through the shells with no discolouration at the base of the head or legs. They shouldn’t look or be soggy and avoid prawns floating in a pool of water.

Cooked prawns: Simply ask to taste one. Look at it first and check it has all its legs, feelers, eyes and that its tail has a firm springiness. Smell it, it should have a crisp and clean iodine aroma. When you taste, it should be firm, sweet and have a lasting clean finish.

Australian prawn cooking guide

Banana prawns: Sweet, with notes of vanilla and green melon. Best in stir-fries, battered and fried or poached for salads.

King Prawns: Sweet, salty with a buttery richness. Best boiled, steamed, grilled, roasted or stir-fried.

Tiger prawns: Succulent, musty with a distinct savoury character. Best steamed, boiled or barbecued in the shell.

School prawns: The sweetness of a well-sugared cup of tea. Best fried or steamed in shell, or peeled for a salad.

Blue endeavour prawn: Rich roast meat flavour with umami notes of shiitake. Best poached in the shell in salty water for salads.

Red spot king prawn: Sweet with notes of green melon. Best boiled or grilled in the shell.

Royal red prawn: Soft, rich with notes of mushroom. Best roasted, deep-fried or as a filling for dumplings and ravioli.

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